tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post4466740860854274236..comments2024-03-27T10:02:56.747-04:00Comments on Fiction University: What to Do When Your Character Isn’t “Talking” to YouJanice Hardyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02356672149097741248noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-56182506883366490322015-09-12T02:23:00.599-04:002015-09-12T02:23:00.599-04:00Fantastic post! And truly - I think we have to sta...Fantastic post! And truly - I think we have to stay open to the fact that some characters will try to step to the front as well - maybe not the ones we originally thought should be in front. Sometimes it makes you feel more like a channeler than a writer. Surely these characters are alive and kicking floating somewhere in the ether waiting for us to knock on their doors... :) eElizabeth O Dulembahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07255495706124193452noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-956155443339942812015-09-09T09:50:32.264-04:002015-09-09T09:50:32.264-04:00Wow, Evolet! Having characters come to you in drea...Wow, Evolet! Having characters come to you in dreams is pretty cool! *crosses arms and wonders why MY characters haven't done that* This whole process is so mysteriously awesome!Vicky Alvear Shecterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17570828339389206203noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-21709810305451185962015-09-08T12:18:08.710-04:002015-09-08T12:18:08.710-04:00"I told her to make like a shepherd and get t..."I told her to make like a shepherd and get the flock out." I really had to refrain busting out laughing when I read this this morning (I'm at work. That wouldn't have been good. LOL) But I totally understand where you're coming from. That's how writer's block works for me. I just wait until I hear the voices again to jump in. Lately, my characters come to me in my dreams and the dreams stop once I write their story. That's how it's working for me right now, actually. The next time I get the cold shoulder from my characters, I'll be sure to try these techniques. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15217543833240987390noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-11917895154143950042015-09-08T09:37:56.050-04:002015-09-08T09:37:56.050-04:00Thanks! Hope it helps, too. :-)Thanks! Hope it helps, too. :-)Vicky Alvear Shecterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17570828339389206203noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-32438733252342989932015-09-08T09:37:36.972-04:002015-09-08T09:37:36.972-04:00Thank you, Shy Guy! I'm so grateful for the su...Thank you, Shy Guy! I'm so grateful for the support!Vicky Alvear Shecterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17570828339389206203noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-76215020013182294182015-09-08T07:34:31.186-04:002015-09-08T07:34:31.186-04:00Fun post. Thanks!Fun post. Thanks!Carol Baldwinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10444182118975929045noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-32718426181850558792015-09-08T00:52:00.715-04:002015-09-08T00:52:00.715-04:00Ms. Shecter, I just wanted to say that I loved rea...Ms. Shecter, I just wanted to say that I loved reading Cleopatra's Moon! I recommend it to anybody I know who's a fan of ancient history.Matthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07681932402948885690noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-47499518631091347212015-09-07T18:07:13.491-04:002015-09-07T18:07:13.491-04:00Cici Grey,that's a great reframe-- the scrap p...Cici Grey,that's a great reframe-- the scrap pile (folders) are always a good idea. That way, I tell myself I'm not really "losing" the writing, I'm saving it for another time. Vicky Alvear Shecterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17570828339389206203noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-49668869410498163842015-09-07T18:05:49.877-04:002015-09-07T18:05:49.877-04:00Thanks for your comments! KAC, I've never actu...Thanks for your comments! KAC, I've never actually changed the sex of a character mid-stream, but I have changed POV, which helped.<br />Vicky Alvear Shecterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17570828339389206203noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-56095908534606028132015-09-07T11:50:14.748-04:002015-09-07T11:50:14.748-04:00Excellent advice! I discovered a year or two ago t...Excellent advice! I discovered a year or two ago that writer's block is my subconscious way of telling myself something is wrong with what I'm working on. After that realization, the solution became obvious: if something's fighting me, it clearly doesn't want to be in this story. So, I fire it (or, more often, relocate it into my "scrap" folder to be scavenged later for something else) and come up with something else.<br /><br />Since I started taking this attitude with virtually everything -- from individual sentences all the way up through major story arcs -- my writing has been much more manageable, not to mention more creative and fun. <br /><br />(Of course, it also means I've had to learn never to get too attached to anything in my stories; I never know when I might have to give something the boot!)Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16706031334196717081noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-15639545547927800302015-09-07T09:07:14.054-04:002015-09-07T09:07:14.054-04:00Nice post! while not often, this does happen to me...Nice post! while not often, this does happen to me. and its so FRUSTRATING. however, I've discovered its usually a result of no sleep and non stop work. however, i think you're absolutely correct when sometimes we just need to take a break to get our creative juices flowing again.<br /><br />however, with the exception of POV, it would be a challenge for me to change anything about my characters. especially something as big as their sex. it would just feel too weird, like changing something of a family member or friend. Again, great post!<br /><br />~K.A.C.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com